Cruise Booking Poll

[Sky Sweet]

Sky Sweet,

 

Go back even further and the prices of cruises were so much higher that 10 years ago what my wife was paying for one person was more than what we pay for two. She has been floored by prices the cruise lines now offer. So do to knowing where the prices have been makes me a little less willing to criticize.

Thank you Chessbriar for illustrating the point I was trying to make :)

[NnJ2010]

I will continue to look for any discounts/freebies/credits. If I don't find a good enough value for the product I will look at other lines. If I don't find a good enough value with the other lines, I'll go to land vacations. I prefer cruises, however, if I don't feel like I'm getting a decent value for my money I'll find another vacation. I don't use full service TAs because I enjoy doing the research myself.

 

IF I find a good enough value and there was no difference between what any internet TAs can offer vs the cruise line directly, I will book with the cruise line directly.

[Cruise Junky]

Thank you Chessbriar for illustrating the point I was trying to make :)

 

Yeah...but.... there was what... 5% of the ships that we have now sailing at that time! The ships of today have a whole lot more berths to fill.

[cruznon]

We've used a TA in the past, but did not get very good service/assistance, so last year we worked directly with a Carnival agent. He was wonderful. He told us he'd keep an eye on the prices and if there was in reduction he'd call us. (Since it turned out to be a sold-out cruise, there weren't any changes.) We had a great cabin--at his suggestion--then he helped select a handicapped cabin for my elderly parents. (He even followed up with a call after we returned.)

I had planned to use him again, but Carnival had promoted him into management!

Next cruise is our first on Celebrity--booked through an online company.

[chessbriar]

Yeah...but.... there was what... 5% of the ships that we have now sailing at that time! The ships of today have a whole lot more berths to fill.

Yes, but at those times ship were sailing full. Once again ships are sailing full. It's about supply and demand. Back then you didn't have the demand that exists today, so fewer ships. The demand is up, the ships and berths are up, and ships are sailing full. So it's only a matter of time until prices go up.

 

We have been spoiled by the discounted prices of post 9/11 as the cruise lines have tried everything to keep their ships full. Well, now the ships are sailing full. Bookings are at some of the highest rates in years and prices are starting to rise. I have watched as ships sell out faster and faster. Prices will start rising again as there are fewer new builds coming out in the next few years. Ports are becoming overloaded and ships are having a hard time with local port authorities with scheduling, note the Galaxy just lost Belize of their schedule due to over booking. Port authorities are see this as a reason to raise their rates.

 

The days of the cheap cruises is starting to wind down. With the addition of the start of baby boomers retiring, it will add to the greater number of people looking to cruise. I took all this into account before bought stock in the industry. I am doing quite well and expect the trend to continue.

[Shaco]

Chess,

 

There is another way to look at the coming waive of retiring baby boomers. Sure, they will have more time to cruise, but they may not have the money. Without a paycheck, retirees must focus on other sources of income, such as the stock market, bonds, savings and money market accounts. As you probably know those sources of income have all but dried up. I don't think we'll be able to maintain two cruises a year, even if cruising remains a great value.

 

Also, I'd like to say that when we began cruising in 1986, we paid $2100.00 for a family of four in an ocean view. Are you telling me cruise prices are still that low? I don't think so.

[pjsugg]

Cruzon,

 

Glad to hear you had a good experience. So far, I have done the same. This is our first Celebrity which I booked online. When I called to ask a few questions recently, I had excellent service. I think that the only thing that worries me is the documents arriving to us directly and on time.

 

As I have said in a previous post, when and if I find a good T/A here I would be happy to give them the business. I have a friend who just went to Russia to go on a 10 day River cruise with her daughter and used a local T/A, but she felt she did most of the work. So, I will continue to ask friends and clients.

 

If Celebrity prices go up to a point where we feel we cannot cruise with them, we, too, will look at other options. For now, I look forward to Century in Jan. 05.

 

Patti

[lucy lu]

i'll still book cruises through my travel agent. She answer all my questions and derserves the business. if no more disciounts are allowed, than maybe the cruiseline will be forced to lower their base price if there business drops and more will be able to afford to cruise more often. i still think it's a good practice to book everything through a travel agent. the cruiselines, airlines, hotels, etc are trying to squeeze them out by cutting or elimating their commisions. and the research i did my for upcoming cruise, it was still cheaper to go through an agent than directly through celebrity. i guess this is one of the changes that royal carribean is making since they bought them out, we'll see what other changes they make.

[Sky Sweet]

Am I the only person who never booked a cruise through an internet travel agent? I had heard so many horror stories from people who did that I was afraid to take a chance.

[Randyk47]

Sky - Most definitely not and if the discounts are truly a thing of the past we'll go back to a brick and mortar agent/agency. All I can tell you is that we've not had any problem whatsoever with our Internet based TA but we were very careful in picking the particular agency and they came highly recommended. Should add that we don't require a lot of support, in fact virtually none, from any TA so cost became the driving factor. We know where we want to go, we know when, we pretty much know which cruise line, and we do our own shore tour research. That pretty much leaves the TA to simply booking the cruise and sometimes the airline and I don't see that changing any time soon.

[SAN]

Chessbriar & Sky Sweey,

 

I had the same thoughts as you; cruising is so much cheaper now. Our first cruise in 1983 was $1500 per person, inside cabin, 7 days on the Island Princess, Alaska.

[TWELVEOHONE]

You missed one possible answer

I will book with the travel agent I have been booking with.

[larry_s_taco]

I have been to a car dealership that had the same practice. I had bought 10 cars from them. I tried to get a new salesman and you're right, you can't. Guess what, I went elsewhere. There are always options. And if you pay a little more, so what. You are not giving your money to someone you feel is nickel and diming you. Once people do that and find out what a premium cruise really is they will find that RCI/Celebrity will either change their policy/prices or raise thier standards.

[hajekfam]

My husband and I are probably unusual because we value quality, loyalty, and service more than getting the cheapest possible price. We have used the same insurance company for our home and autos for 13 years. From time to time, another company will give us a quote that is slightly lower, but we still keep our current company because they are excellent. I just got bids to have the exterior of our house painted and did not go with the lowest bidder. I went with one in the middle because that painter did such a good job for us the last time he painted our house. With that said, I feel the same way about travel agents. I don't like being exploited, but I do feel that people who do their job well deserve to be adequately compensated for it. I have also been on the other side of the fence. I am now retired, but owned a real estate appraisal firm for many years. Even though some of my competitors charged considerably less than I did, I always had more business than I needed. That is because I had loyal clients, that were very concerned with quality, who had experienced problems when they used cheaper appraisers that they never had with my appraisal firm.

I agree with sky sweet. I will continue booking my cruises through our local TA for the service she gives. She doesn't have much to do to help us choose our trip as I research everything myself. However, when there is a problem, she is on top of it and gets me a satisfactory result.

I did try a few internet companies that offered discounts, sure the price was lower until I got to final payment and found a service charge, documentation fee, shipping fee, etc. It wasn't much lower than my TA and I knew the service I would receive.

[Longboysfan]

I'll stay booking the same way as I have.

Letting my agent get me a price and deciding from there.

[janjay]

[quote name='Shaco']Chess,


Also, I'd like to say that when we began cruising in 1986, we paid $2100.00 for a family of four in an ocean view. Are you telling me cruise prices are still that low? I don't think so.[/QUOTE]


What is? Gas, food, paper, housing, ummmm nope!

I will continue to use my TA she's a friend who shares in my excitement. I will save a little more. Shop a little less and totally enjoy my cruises!

[Shaco]

Janjay,

Several posters have said that cruises are less expensive now than ever in the past. I was pointing out that this is not so. Cruise prices have gone up, which is to be expected.

But I can't go along when a business legislates what I must pay for their product. Cruises are like almost anything else in the marketplace. I don't buy Saturn cars. If cruises become like Saturns, I won't buy them either.

[sweet sheep]

[b]I will continue using an agent! I do wish that Celebrity would issue a statement to everyone just explaining the real reason this all started anyway! They are hurting themselves and making people angry with them and we really do not even know why!! They are actually driving people to other lines.[/b]

[b]I have taken many cruises and the price has mostly gone up. Most cruises were easy enough to figure out because it was approx $100 per day plus taxes and port charges. There are still deals out there but in my opinion there are a couple of cruise lines i will not travel on no matter what price they have.[/b]

[Sky Sweet]

[quote name='Shaco']Janjay,

Several posters have said that cruises are less expensive now than ever in the past. I was pointing out that this is not so. Cruise prices have gone up, which is to be expected.

But I can't go along when a business legislates what I must pay for their product. Cruises are like almost anything else in the marketplace. I don't buy Saturn cars. If cruises become like Saturns, I won't buy them either.[/QUOTE]
[b]In December 2003 we paid less for a sky suite on the Century than we did for an outside cabin on the Infinity in August 2001. In December 2002 we also paid less for a premium 1A cabin with a balcony (now classified as concierge class) on the Millennium than we did for our 2001 cruise on the Infinity. All three are seven night cruises that were booked through the same travel agent.[/b]

[Hilary]

[quote name='chessbriar']Shaco,

The only line not using this policy is Nowegian. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, Costa, Holland America, P&O, Seabourne, Windstar, Cunard, and some of Carinval's smaller divisions. Leaves little choice. The only other one you may check on would be MSC, they have expanded recently and have plans on entering the US market[/QUOTE]


Sorry, this is incorrect. Carnival cruises is the only part of the Carnival Corporation that is effected by their new policy. There have been no other cruise divisions included in the policy change as of now. In addition, Carnival has specifically stated that their restriction is on ADVERTISING only. What happens between you and your travel agent is not their concern and if the TA chooses to use their commission to further discount, then Carnival doesn't care.

RCI's policy effects both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity and bans all individual discounting by TA's. Big difference between the two policies IMO.

[Shaco]

Hilary,

Thank you so much for pointing out that only Carnival will be affected by the new pricing policy. I wouldn't mind investigating a Princess or Hal cruise if Celebrity insists on sticking with its new policy.

I wonder if the new norm will be to wait until the last moment to book with Celebrity to see if the prices adjust to all the empty cabins?

[Sky Sweet]

[quote name='Sky Sweet'][b]In December 2003 we paid less for a sky suite on the Century than we did for an outside cabin on the Infinity in August 2001. In December 2002 we also paid less for a premium 1A cabin with a balcony (now classified as concierge class) on the Millennium than we did for our 2001 cruise on the Infinity. All three are seven night cruises that were booked through the same travel agent.[/b][/QUOTE]
[b]I would like to add something to my original post quoted above. Out of curiosity, I just checked the prices on Celebrity's website for an Alaskan Cruise on the Infinity. Even though prices may be edging up again, their current price for an Alaskan cruise is still less than we paid in 2001.[/b]

[themommy]

We don't have much choice other than to stick with the TA's due to the flights needed from the UK.